When “be it” is at the beginning of a sentence, what kind of structure do you call it? The Next CEO of Stack OverflowIs there an American English equivalent of the British idiom “carrying coals to Newcastle”?Is this proper English: “I am student”?non-condecending term that has the meaning that is usually associated to 'first world'British English form of the word playoff“sweets” in American EnglishCan you switch verb tenses when beginning a new sentence?so ~ that ~ structure vs. inversion of sentenceEnglish word or phrase that is a more general version of “forge” or “foundry”What is the American equivalent of a “backie”?How often are words used for outerwear in British English considered underwear in American English?
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When “be it” is at the beginning of a sentence, what kind of structure do you call it?
The Next CEO of Stack OverflowIs there an American English equivalent of the British idiom “carrying coals to Newcastle”?Is this proper English: “I am student”?non-condecending term that has the meaning that is usually associated to 'first world'British English form of the word playoff“sweets” in American EnglishCan you switch verb tenses when beginning a new sentence?so ~ that ~ structure vs. inversion of sentenceEnglish word or phrase that is a more general version of “forge” or “foundry”What is the American equivalent of a “backie”?How often are words used for outerwear in British English considered underwear in American English?
I think it is kind of inversion and I'd found some info on Wikipedia, but I cannot recall what term this structure is, I even remember some example from Wiki, "be it ever so humble, there's no place like home"
Can anybody help me out?
american-english british-english inversion
asked 3 hours ago
AngyangAngyang
474
add a comment |
I think it is kind of inversion and I'd found some info on Wikipedia, but I cannot recall what term this structure is, I even remember some example from Wiki, "be it ever so humble, there's no place like home"
Can anybody help me out?
american-english british-english inversion
asked 3 hours ago
AngyangAngyang
474
add a comment |
I think it is kind of inversion and I'd found some info on Wikipedia, but I cannot recall what term this structure is, I even remember some example from Wiki, "be it ever so humble, there's no place like home"
Can anybody help me out?
american-english british-english inversion
asked 3 hours ago
AngyangAngyang
474
I think it is kind of inversion and I'd found some info on Wikipedia, but I cannot recall what term this structure is, I even remember some example from Wiki, "be it ever so humble, there's no place like home"
Can anybody help me out?
american-english british-english inversion
american-english british-english inversion
asked 3 hours ago
AngyangAngyang
474
asked 3 hours ago
AngyangAngyang
474
edited 39 mins ago
Angyang
asked 3 hours ago
AngyangAngyang
474
asked 3 hours ago
AngyangAngyang
474
asked 3 hours ago
AngyangAngyang
474
474
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
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In terms of morphology, the verb is in the subjunctive mood (be rather than indicative is).
In terms of word order, we’re dealing with a case of subject-auxiliary inversion (be before the subject).
In terms of semantics, the structure can express a variety of meanings such as optative, a wish or a hope (be it the best year of your life), in which case the structure carries archaic, formal, often religious connotations. But in your case it encodes arbitrariness or free-choice, ‘no matter which’ (be it new or be it old), or concession, ‘although, even if, even if I grant’ (be it as it may). The two uses are difficult to distinguish.
So your construction could be described quite well as a case of subject-auxiliary inversion with free-choice/concessive, subjunctive be.
answered 2 hours ago
Richard ZRichard Z
1,110213
Thanks for your detailed explaining Richard I learnt a lot; btw I just succeeded in locating it on the Inversion section of the English subjunctive on wikipedia and that's exactly what I wanted to find.
– Angyang
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
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active
oldest
votes
In terms of morphology, the verb is in the subjunctive mood (be rather than indicative is).
In terms of word order, we’re dealing with a case of subject-auxiliary inversion (be before the subject).
In terms of semantics, the structure can express a variety of meanings such as optative, a wish or a hope (be it the best year of your life), in which case the structure carries archaic, formal, often religious connotations. But in your case it encodes arbitrariness or free-choice, ‘no matter which’ (be it new or be it old), or concession, ‘although, even if, even if I grant’ (be it as it may). The two uses are difficult to distinguish.
So your construction could be described quite well as a case of subject-auxiliary inversion with free-choice/concessive, subjunctive be.
answered 2 hours ago
Richard ZRichard Z
1,110213
Thanks for your detailed explaining Richard I learnt a lot; btw I just succeeded in locating it on the Inversion section of the English subjunctive on wikipedia and that's exactly what I wanted to find.
– Angyang
1 hour ago
add a comment |
In terms of morphology, the verb is in the subjunctive mood (be rather than indicative is).
In terms of word order, we’re dealing with a case of subject-auxiliary inversion (be before the subject).
In terms of semantics, the structure can express a variety of meanings such as optative, a wish or a hope (be it the best year of your life), in which case the structure carries archaic, formal, often religious connotations. But in your case it encodes arbitrariness or free-choice, ‘no matter which’ (be it new or be it old), or concession, ‘although, even if, even if I grant’ (be it as it may). The two uses are difficult to distinguish.
So your construction could be described quite well as a case of subject-auxiliary inversion with free-choice/concessive, subjunctive be.
answered 2 hours ago
Richard ZRichard Z
1,110213
Thanks for your detailed explaining Richard I learnt a lot; btw I just succeeded in locating it on the Inversion section of the English subjunctive on wikipedia and that's exactly what I wanted to find.
– Angyang
1 hour ago
add a comment |
In terms of morphology, the verb is in the subjunctive mood (be rather than indicative is).
In terms of word order, we’re dealing with a case of subject-auxiliary inversion (be before the subject).
In terms of semantics, the structure can express a variety of meanings such as optative, a wish or a hope (be it the best year of your life), in which case the structure carries archaic, formal, often religious connotations. But in your case it encodes arbitrariness or free-choice, ‘no matter which’ (be it new or be it old), or concession, ‘although, even if, even if I grant’ (be it as it may). The two uses are difficult to distinguish.
So your construction could be described quite well as a case of subject-auxiliary inversion with free-choice/concessive, subjunctive be.
answered 2 hours ago
Richard ZRichard Z
1,110213
In terms of morphology, the verb is in the subjunctive mood (be rather than indicative is).
In terms of word order, we’re dealing with a case of subject-auxiliary inversion (be before the subject).
In terms of semantics, the structure can express a variety of meanings such as optative, a wish or a hope (be it the best year of your life), in which case the structure carries archaic, formal, often religious connotations. But in your case it encodes arbitrariness or free-choice, ‘no matter which’ (be it new or be it old), or concession, ‘although, even if, even if I grant’ (be it as it may). The two uses are difficult to distinguish.
So your construction could be described quite well as a case of subject-auxiliary inversion with free-choice/concessive, subjunctive be.
answered 2 hours ago
Richard ZRichard Z
1,110213
answered 2 hours ago
Richard ZRichard Z
1,110213
answered 2 hours ago
Richard ZRichard Z
1,110213
answered 2 hours ago
Richard ZRichard Z
1,110213
1,110213
Thanks for your detailed explaining Richard I learnt a lot; btw I just succeeded in locating it on the Inversion section of the English subjunctive on wikipedia and that's exactly what I wanted to find.
– Angyang
1 hour ago
add a comment |
Thanks for your detailed explaining Richard I learnt a lot; btw I just succeeded in locating it on the Inversion section of the English subjunctive on wikipedia and that's exactly what I wanted to find.
– Angyang
1 hour ago
Thanks for your detailed explaining Richard I learnt a lot; btw I just succeeded in locating it on the Inversion section of the English subjunctive on wikipedia and that's exactly what I wanted to find.
– Angyang
1 hour ago
Thanks for your detailed explaining Richard I learnt a lot; btw I just succeeded in locating it on the Inversion section of the English subjunctive on wikipedia and that's exactly what I wanted to find.
– Angyang
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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